Taxi Driver Online

Woman, 20, sexually assaulted by man posing as taxi driver

A MAN posed as a taxi driver in order to abduct and sexually assault a young woman.

Manzoor Hassan, 34, scoured the streets of Edinburgh in the early hours before luring a 20-year-old woman into his car,

Instead of driving the Irish student to a hostel where she was staying with friends, Hassan drove around the city until she fell asleep. He then stripped, got into the back seat and sexually assaulted her.

At the High Court in Livingston yesterday, Hassan, of Home Street, Edinburgh, admitted abduction and sexual assault to the girl's injury. Allegations that he tried to rape his victim were dropped.

The judge, Lady Smith, put Hassan on the sex offenders register, remanded him in custody and ordered background reports. He will be sentenced next month.

Derek Ogg, QC, prosecuting, told the court the victim had been on a night out in Edinburgh with friends from a Dublin university and had gone to a nightclub.

"She says she was very drunk. She is seen on CCTV leaving the nightclub about 2:10am. She had lost her friends in the club," Mr Ogg said.

She was waving her arm, looking for a taxi and got into Hassan's car. He took her on a drive around Edinburgh, reassuring her that he was taking her to the hostel.

Mr Ogg said: "The complainer has no memory for a period thereafter and had almost certainly fallen asleep. Her next recollection was at about 4:30am in the morning, when the accused climbed into the back of the taxi naked."

The woman managed to fight her attacker off and ran to a house for help.

Mr Ogg added: "This crime has had a devastating effect on this young woman. She has, however, recovered sufficiently to carry on with her university studies and live as normal a life as possible.

"She is, however, very well aware of just how dangerous the situation was and does not travel in taxis on her own."

source: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Woman ... 6171988.jp

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

This is the very reason a clamp down on private hire picking up illegally is a must.If they did not pick up illegally the public would soon get fed up trying to flag down any type of vehicle.

My fear is because of the attitude of Tayside police concerning ph picking up illegally this kind of incident is going to happen.

An example should be made of him, cut of his balls with a blunt knife slowly.

Having watched hostel 2 last night I think you're being far too lenient tone

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I could have said more but i was eating my breakfast.

I see......did you have toast?

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

It is impossible to stop people getting into saloons believing them to be taxis.

This is precisely the situation I warned about, it is precisely why I blame Cllr Colin Keir for these incidents.

It doesn't matter whether a car has a sign on it saying prebooked hires only. This female was drunk, she wouldn't read the sign in any case. She just wanted to get home. And we now have a culture where saloon type vehicles are viewed as hireable vehicles.

I repeat that Edinburgh's council's policy to restrict proper, real and readily recognisable purpose built hackney taxis encourages the growth of saloon based PH, it encourages the potential for these vehicles to be duplicated or appear so to inebriated or drugged and vulnerable customers - usually female.

And this long held policy of restriction has arrived at this situation.

How long before someone is actually murdered because of Colin Keir's restriction policy?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Thread hijacking ffs

I wager theres been more attacks by unlicensed drivers in deregulated areas than regulated ones.

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

A fool and his money are easily parted CC.

Dear Mr Macleod

Woman, 20, sexually assaulted by man posing as taxi driver

Perhaps you would be kind enough to pass the following link to Cllr Keir who will surely remember that this is precisely the situation I have warned him about.

http://taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtop ... 300#168300

Will you ask him whether a member of the public has to be murdered before he will recognise that his policy of restricting taxi licences is responsible and will he now take the necessary steps to de-restrict in order to help prevent further instances?

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Draw his attention to this article too; it appears at least one of your number is sought;

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/Hunt-on-for-cabbie-after.6114910.jp

Hunt on for cabbie after sex attack on female passenger

A TAXI driver was today being hunted by police after indecently assaulting a young woman he had picked up in his black cab.

The 23-year-old victim was left "very upset and distressed" after being attacked in the taxi just yards from her front door following a night out with friends.

The victim's family had ordered her a taxi to take her home when the suspect's black cab, which was licensed in Edinburgh, pulled up beside her in Lauder Road in Dalkeith.

The woman wrongly assumed the cab was intended for her and got inside for the short journey to her home in the town's Larch Crescent.

But the cabbie, a man in his late 30s, indecently assaulted her before driving off at around 2:40am on Sunday morning.

Detectives are now working with black cab firms in the Capital in a bid to identify drivers who were on duty at the time.

Officers have also appealed to anyone who may have been dropped off by the driver in Dalkeith before he picked up the victim.

Detective Constable Liam Maguire, who is leading the investigation, said: "The victim was standing on her own waiting for a taxi which had been ordered by a family member.

"Just after the call had been made for her, a black Hackney-style cab arrived.

"She thought it was the taxi ordered for her and got in. She was driven the three or four-minute journey to her street and at that time the driver has indecently assaulted her. She's been very upset and distressed, and has run to her home to alert her family, who called police."

The suspect is described as white, late 30s, 5ft 6in tall, medium build, short dirty blond hair, clean-shaven, with a local accent. He wore light blue denims and white/cream T-shirt with a dark motif on the front.

Officers have traced CCTV images of the taxi and managed to establish that the vehicle had Edinburgh City Council plates.

The driver of the taxi ordered for the victim also saw the suspect's vehicle in Dalkeith, and confirmed it was registered in the Capital, which has approximately 1,400 black cabs on the books.

DC Maguire added: "Enquiries are being carried out with the Edinburgh Cab Office.

"We are also continuing to examine CCTV from the Dalkeith and Mayfield areas, as well as cameras from Lothian buses.

"We are also looking into whether this was a Midlothian-based driver who was returning home after a shift."

Derek Bridgeford, a spokesman for the Scottish Taxi Federation, said: "All taxi drivers will cooperate with police over this matter as we don't want people like that driving black cabs."

Bogus private hire drivers have been involved in a number of incidents where passengers have been attacked.

Last February, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a man masquerading as a private hire driver who picked her up outside City nightclub on Market Street.


It would appear the public in Edinburgh are not very safe whatever vehicle they get in

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

point well made CC serves him right for hijacking your thread

Response from Donald Macleod

Dear Mr Taylor,

I have forwarded your e mail to Cllr Keir as requested.

Regards


Now Colin Keir can' hide from knowledge. And knowledge makes him responsible, culpable and accountable.


Now let's see where we can take this?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

1. No one has yet been identified for this alleged crime.

2. There are no independent witnesses to confirm that a crime has even taken place.

3. "Officers have traced CCTV images of the taxi and managed to establish that the vehicle had Edinburgh City Council plates. "

We are led to believe the taxi was licensed in Edinburgh. How? If they knew this then how come we don't know the licence plate no? Isn't the truth that this is not fact?

And, doesn't use of the word "tracing" CCTV images suggest that they don't have an image at pickup, carrying the alleged victim or at the drop off. We don't really know whether the image they found is actually the vehicle, we only really have the word of the alleged victim that it was even an Edinburgh taxi. So the cops go out and come up with a trace of an Edinburgh taxi, but can't tell us what the licence number is, or even the reg?



4. With their use of GPS, would the blactaxi firms very quickly be able to identify any of their veiles anywhere near this locale, either before or after?

5. A black hackney style vehicle? All surrounding licensing areas have such vehicles. Still not proof.

All of this is clearly preposterous. However I will wait with baited breath to be shown that this story is true. I believe its all bolloc ks.

It would appear the public in Edinburgh are not very safe whatever vehicle they get in Rolling Eyes - CC


Really CC? On your evidence aren't you rushing to judgement here? And from the drivel you wite, presumably we can all assume that your taxi empire is based on saloons and not real taxis

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"